Agenda item

To consider the report of the Chief Executive providing an update on the latest stage of the process to implement the West Yorkshire Devolution Deal, as agreed between the region and Government in March 2020. The report also includes information on the outcome of the statutory governance review which has been undertaken and seeks approval to progress to the next phase involving public consultation on the draft Scheme.

The Chief Executive submitted a report which provided an update on the latest stage of the process to implement the West Yorkshire Devolution Deal, as agreed between the region and Government in March 2020. The report included information on the outcome of the statutory governance review which had been undertaken and also sought approval to progress to the next phase involving public consultation on the draft Scheme, as appended to the submitted report.

In introducing the submitted report, the Leader highlighted that work on the devolution deal continued at pace, with it being reiterated that the intention was to progress in line with the timeframe as set out within the report. It was also highlighted that bearing in mind the current situation regarding the Coronavirus pandemic, discussions continued around allowing an element of flexibility in the timeframe to ensure that all due diligence, consultation and scrutiny processes in respect of the proposals were fully undertaken as required.

In considering the submitted report, Members discussed and received further information on the following:-

·  Given the current situation regarding the Coronavirus pandemic, emphasis was placed upon the importance of ensuring that members of the public and Elected Members of the Council were provided with appropriate opportunity to engage with and discuss the proposals as part of the consultation and communications exercises, which included the respective scrutiny functions at both the City Council and the Combined Authority. The importance of the democratic accountability and transparency of the process was reiterated, with the need for all Opposition Groups to receive briefings and communications on such matters, as appropriate, being highlighted;

·  Proposals regarding the range of functions to be undertaken by the Mayoral Authority as part of the devolution deal were discussed, with it being highlighted that as a result of this process, no current functions would be transferred away from the City Council, unless by agreement of the Council. In response to specific enquiries, officers undertook to provide a Member in question with further information on how the function of housing and land acquisition would be delivered under the proposed model, with it being undertaken that a Member’s specific comments around the setting of precepts would be fed into the relevant consultation processes;

·  The potential economic benefits for the area arising from the adoption of the devolution deal for West Yorkshire were highlighted, with Members emphasising the importance of this, given the current financial position of Local Authorities in light of the Coronavirus pandemic.

RESOLVED –

(a)  That having considered the Governance Review, as appended to the submitted report at Appendix 1, the Review’s conclusions be endorsed, including that an Order under S104 and S105 in relation to the changes to constitutional arrangements considered in the Review and the delegation of additional functions to the Combined Authority would be likely to improve the exercise of statutory functions in relation to the Combined Authority’s area;

(b)  That the Board’s consideration and comments regarding the draft Scheme for the establishment of the Mayoral Combined Authority, as detailed at Appendix 2 to the submitted report, be noted;

(c)  That agreement be given for a public consultation exercise to be undertaken on the proposals contained within the Scheme, with the Board’s consideration and comment upon the draft consultation questions, as detailed in Appendix 3 to the submitted report being noted;

(d)  That the progression of engagement with the Combined Authority and other constituent Councils, as described within the submitted report, be agreed, with the Board’s agreement also being given that the Managing Director of the Combined Authority shall, in consultation with the Leader and Chief Executive of this Council, be authorised to take any steps to finalise the preparation and publication of the Scheme and progress the public consultation exercise, as set out within the submitted report;

(e)  That the updated timetable, as set out in Appendix 4 to the submitted report be noted, together with the next steps including, subject to the approval by constituent Councils and the Combined Authority, the submission of a summary of the consultation responses to the Secretary of State in August / September 2020, and to subsequently consent to any draft Order in September 2020 so that a mayoral combined authority model and associated changes may be adopted and implemented by May 2021, as set out in the Deal;

(f)  That the proposals, as outlined in section 3.49 of the submitted report around political engagement throughout the devolution process, be agreed;

(g)  That approval be given for all decisions taken by the Executive Board from this report, and as resolved above, be exempted from the Call In process on the grounds of urgency, as set out in paragraph 4.5.3 of the submitted report.

(The Council’s Executive and Decision Making Procedure Rules state that a decision may be declared as being exempt from the Call In process by the decision taker if it is considered that the matter is urgent and any delay would seriously prejudice the Council’s, or the public’s interests. In line with this, the resolutions contained within this minute were exempted from the Call In process, as per resolution (g) above, and for the reasons as detailed within sections 4.5.3 of the submitted report)